Revision: June 6, 2025, 10:54 a.m.
Sen. Prentiss, Dist 5
Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21
Sen. Long, Dist 20
Sen. Rosenwald, Dist 13
Sen. Altschiller, Dist 24
Sen. Fenton, Dist 10
Sen. Watters, Dist 4
Sen. Reardon, Dist 15
June 3, 2025
2025-2672s
06/09
Floor Amendment to HB 2-FN-A-LOCAL
Amend the bill by replacing sections 16-23 with the following:
16 Education Trust Fund Appropriations Reductions; Education Freedom Accounts. The education trust fund appropriations to the department of education, in account 06-56-56560040-3446, class line 102, for education freedom accounts, shall be reduced by $9,844,091 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, and by $18,344,091 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027. The department shall report to the fiscal committees of the general court on such reductions.
Amend the bill by replacing sections 139-142 with the following:
139 Business Profits Tax; Distribution of Funds. Amend RSA 77-A:20-a, I to read as follows:
I. The commissioner shall determine [41] 34.5 percent of the revenue produced by the tax imposed by RSA 77-A:2 for each fiscal year and shall certify such amounts to the state treasurer by October 1 of that year for deposit in the education trust fund established by RSA 198:39.
140 Business Enterprise Tax; Distribution of Funds. Amend RSA 77-E:14, I to read as follows:
I. The commissioner shall determine [41] 34.5 percent of the revenue produced by the tax imposed by RSA 77-E:2 for each fiscal year and shall certify such amounts to the state treasurer by October 1 of that year for deposit in the education trust fund established by RSA 198:39.
141 Tobacco Tax; Distribution of Funds. RSA 78:24 is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
78:24 Distribution of Funds.
I. Tax revenue on all tobacco products sold at retail in this state imposed by RSA 78:2 shall be divided with 34.5 percent of that total revenue deposited in the education trust fund established by RSA 198:39 and the remaining revenue deposited in the general fund.
II. The commissioner shall certify such amount to the state treasurer for deposit in the education trust fund established by RSA 198:39. Such estimates shall be certified on June 1, September 1, December 1, and March 1 of each year.
142 Tax on Transfer of Real Property; Distribution of Funds. RSA 78-B:13, I, is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
I. Tax revenue collected by RSA 78-B:1 shall be divided, with 34.5 percent of that total revenue deposited in the education trust fund established by RSA 198:39 and the remaining revenue deposited in the general fund.
Amend the bill by inserting after section 573 the following:
574 Appropriations; Department of Correction. Notwithstanding the provisions of HB 1-A, there is hereby appropriated to the department of corrections the sums of $9,771,903 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, and $12,252,068 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sums out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. In addition to authorization of general funds, the department of corrections is hereby authorized to expend an additional $281,762 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, and $288,245 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, in other funds for accounting unit 02-46-46-462010-5731.
575 Nullification of HB 1-A Section Relative to Positions Abolished in the Department of Corrections. If HB 1-A of the 2025 general legislative session becomes law, section 5, paragraph XIII of HB 1-A, relative to abolishing certain positions in the department of corrections, shall not take effect.
576 New Section; Recruitment and Retention Program. Amend RSA 21-P by inserting after section 21-P:4 the following new section:
21-P:4-a Recruitment and Retention Program.
I. The department is authorized to develop a recruitment and retention incentive program, as well as request that the joint fiscal committee transfer funds from the highway fund or other available funds for recruitment, selection, placement, and retention of qualified applicants. The program may include expenditures for recruitment and retention incentives including but not limited to:
(a) Bonuses for newly hired applicants who have not been employed by the state for a period of time to be determined by the commissioner, but no less than one year, immediately preceding the date of hire; and
(b) Referral fees for active employees of the state in good standing, excluding those employed in human resources jobs within their own agencies and hiring manager positions.
II. Any recruitment or retention incentives received by a state employee pursuant to paragraph I shall not be considered gifts under RSA 15-B.
III. Referral of applicants by current employees of the state for the purpose of receiving a referral fee pursuant to this paragraph shall not be considered a misuse of position.
IV. Any expenditure made for recruitment or retention incentives pursuant to this section shall be considered a matter of legislatively enacted public policy that is designed to benefit employees and the state, and that is confined exclusively to the public employee and shall not be subject to collective bargaining. Nothing in this section shall be construed to invalidate any portion of a collective bargaining agreement entered into by the state.
V. Any requested expenditure for recruitment, retention incentives, or bonuses shall require the approval of the joint fiscal committee of the general court.
577 Appropriation; Department of Safety.
The sum of $900,000 for the biennium ending June 30, 2027 is appropriated to the department of safety for the purpose of funding recruitment incentives in accordance with RSA 21-P:4-a. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sum out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.
578 Contingency. Section 577 of this act shall take effect if it is determined that highway funds are not available to be transferred under RSA 21-P:4-a, I, as certified by the comptroller to the director of legislative services.
579 Effective Date. Section 577 shall take effect as provided in section 578.
2025-2672s
AMENDED ANALYSIS
REPLACE:
16. Reduces certain education trust fund appropriations to the department of education for education freedom accounts.
DELETE:
17. Requires scholarship organizations to accept and approve education freedom account applications on a rolling basis and sets an enrollment cap, excepting out priority guideline students from the cap.
Add:
1. Makes an appropriation to the department of corrections and retains positions within the department proposed to be abolished in HB 1.
2. Creates and enumerates the parameters for a new recruitment and retention program for new New Hampshire state troopers.